C16S06 The armageddon factor

Synopsis

The Key to Time is almost complete.  With only one piece still to find, the Doctor, Romana and K-9 arrive on Atrios, a planet in the middle of a terrible war with its twin world Zeos.  To restore the balance of the universe for the White Guardian the Doctor must find the sixth segment before the planets destroy each other — but Zeos is deserted, so who is behind the war...?

Cover notes

After following the events of the previous five adventures, viewers were finally rewarded with a six-episode tale that would bring the seach for the Key to Time to an end.

The task of writing the last adventure was given to Bob Baker and Dave Martin, who had worked on Doctor Who as far back as The Claws of Axos in 1971.  The only condition producer Graham Williams made was that the theme wasn't to be carried into the next series.

Baker and Martin delivered a script that didn't reveal much more about the Guardians, although the menace of the Black Guardian is felt by the inclusion of the evil Shadow.  Incoming script editor Douglas Adams, of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy fame, got stright into the swing by writing the final scene along with Williams.

The Armageddon Factor sees the last performance of Mary Tamm as Romana.  Graham Williams had hoped he could persuade the actress to continue in the role, but this was not to be.  Tamm herself suggested to Williams that her character should regenerate and that Lalla Ward, who had impressed the production team playing Princess Astra in the story, should audition for the part.  Halfway through transmission of The Armageddon Factor, it was announced that Ward would be the new Time Lady when the series returned later that year.

It had been an epic and enjoyable 26-week season, and thanks to the Doctor, Romana and K-9, the universe was safe again.  At least for now...

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